Time Charms
by Draco
Summary: Takes place winter of Harry Potter's fifth year, when Draco Malfoy decides to start making trouble (again)... the results are a little... interesting...
1. Default Chapter Title

# **Chapter One**

"Harry, what are you doing?" Hermione crossed her arms in disapproval, just in case it was breaking the rules to crawl about on your hands and knees in the common room when you were supposed to be at breakfast.

Harry looked up, pushing a lock of his messy black hair out of his face. He had been searching under every chair and table, rearranging the furniture as he did so. It was driving Hermione crazy.

"I am going to kill them," Harry muttered, going back to his search.

"Them? What are you doing?" Hermione repeated.

"Fred and George! They've stolen my trunk, so now I can't do anything… almost everything I own is in that trunk… except my firebolt." Harry shrugged. "I think they've used a shrinking potion on it.

"We have not, have we George?" Fred's outraged voice sounded through the room.

"You!" Harry spun around. There was no one behind him. "Hand back the cloak."

Fred and George pulled off Harry's cloak grinning from ear to ear. "Brilliant, Harry… do you know what we could do with something like this?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Be still, my beating heart. You're going to tear the castle apart, aren't you?"

Harry snatched back the cloak and stuffed it in his pocket. "Where's my trunk?"

George frowned. "We didn't take your trunk… just your cloak. Your trunk is still there…"

Harry crossed his arms. "Want to bet?"

Fred and George looked at each other. "_Did_ we take the trunk? I'm sure we only snitched his cloak." Fred looked puzzled.

George nodded. "Not the trunk. Sorry, Harry, old bean. We have to get down to the lake. Professor Talish is demonstrating time charms down there, and we can't miss it…"

Fred nodded. "Look luck finding your trunk!" Then he and his twin laughed and headed out of the common room.

Harry shook his head. Hermione tugged on his robes. "Come on… we need to get down to the great hall… breakfast is almost over!"

Tap tap tap.

Harry turned. "Hedwig!" he ran to the window and let his owl in. Hedwig hooted and held out her leg.

Hermione and Harry looked at each other and frowned. Then Harry unfolded the parchment. The message wasn't long.

Roses are black,

What do you want to bet,

That some ugly git's trunk,

Is about to get wet?

Happy fishing, Potter.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other. Hermione's mouth was wide open.

"Malfoy!"

***

Draco Malfoy smirked as he floated the trunk above the lake. Beside him, Crabbe and Goyle were laughing at the defense against the dark arts teacher, who was showing some Hufflepuff seventh years how to perform time charms was about thirty feet away and hidden by several large plants. Fred and George Weasley had been spotted by the banks, trying to figure out how to best interfere with the spell before the teacher caught them.

"Malfoy!" Harry and Ron landed beside him, dismounting their broomsticks. Harry's firebolt gleamed. "Give it back!"

Draco smiled slightly. "One more step, Potter, and your trunk gets to go swimming! Won't that be fun?" Crabbe and Goyle snickered.

Ron lunged at Draco, knocking him down. 

Draco, his concentration broken, broke the levitation charm. Harry's trunk fell into the lake with a splash.

"Why you!" Harry barely managed to pull Ron off Draco before Crabbe and Goyle permanently rearranged his face. "Ron, take my broomstick, go get a teacher."

"And what will you be doing, Potter?" Draco smirked.

Harry shoved by Draco and waded into the lake, shivering slightly. Draco, by the sounds of it, was about to die laughing. Crabbe and Goyle joined in, although Harry wasn't sure if they knew what the joke was about.

It didn't mater… his picture album was in that trunk. Harry dove beneath the water.

Draco wasn't laughing fifteen minutes later, though, when Harry still hadn't surfaced. Ron and Hermione had returned, although they hadn't brought a teacher. "Where is he?" Draco whispered. "He couldn't have drowned… could he?"

Ron, standing beside Malfoy, glared at him. "If anything, ANYTHING, has happened to Harry, you can kiss your…"

"Ron!" Hermione wailed. "This isn't the time! Why hasn't he come up?"

"Maybe because Malfoy has murdered him, that's why!" Ron was too busy watching the surface of the water to beat Draco up.

Draco sneered. "Fine. Believe what you want… I'm off. Come on, Crabbe, Goyle."

Ron shook his head and waded into the lake towards where the trunk had been dropped. By this time every Hufflepuff seventh year had known of Harry's disappearance. Professor Talish had gone for Dumbledore, leaving the students to try and find Harry. Ron had been diving again and again searching for Harry, and afterwards (Hermione almost had to drag him out of the lake; he'd almost half drowned himself searching for Harry) he came back out and collapsed on the ground. "He's not there," he whispered. "Neither is his trunk. They're both gone."

Hermione, who had been crying and trying not to let Ron see her, gave a small sob and raised her head. "You think the mermaids have captured him? Or the giant squid?"

Ron just shook his head. "I don't know… I hate Malfoy! I swear, if Harry's dead, I will never let that slimy git forget it…"

"We have a problem,"

Ron and Hermione spun around.

Dumbledore didn't smile. "Professor Talish was showing the effects of time charms… I have reason to believe that someone has tampered with one of his demonstrations."

Ron's hands clenched into fists. "Malfoy,"

Hermione frowned. "Fred and George."

"So what's happened?" Ron asked.

"He's been transported. To another time." Dumbledore looked at the lake, frowning. "We don't know when."

Hermione and Ron looked at each other, their mouth's open. Hermione shook her head. "This could be very, very bad…"

***

Harry had just grabbed his trunk when a jet of white light blinded him. He dropped his trunk in surprise, gasped for air at the surface, then dove back down for his trunk.

Something about the water had changed, though… it wasn't so cold, anymore… on the contrary, it was rather warm. Harry grabbed his trunk, just as one of the grindygollows in the lake clamped onto his leg.

Harry gasped for air… and got water instead. Three more grindygollows clamped onto him. Harry started sinking… then everything went black.

***

"Are you alright?"

Harry opened his eyes a bit. His vision was all blurry, and he was shivering and sopping wet. "What happened?"

The kid in front of him laughed and put something in Harry's hand. "Your glasses. I thought you might need them."

Harry took the glasses from the boy, but didn't put them on. "You… you pulled me out, didn't you?"

The boy nodded. Harry sat up and squinted towards the lake. "You'd do the same for me, wouldn't you?"

"What?" Harry shook his head. Who was this kid? "Did you see my trunk?"

"I got that too. And, as long as we're on the subject, James, what were you thinking?! I mean, swimming with your robes on, I can see, but taking your trunk? Is this some new scheme you haven't told us about? I want in on the joke."

Harry blinked. Did this kid just call him James? And, while he was at it, why did his voice suddenly sound so familiar? Harry slowly put on his glasses.

The kid suddenly loomed into clear view. Harry found himself staring into the face of a fifteen year old Sirius Black.


	2. Default Chapter Title

## Chapter Two

Harry jumped back as though he'd been bitten. "_Sirius?_"

Sirius looked annoyed. "No, I'm Snape. Yes, Sirius… You alright, James?"

Harry was too stunned to speak.

Sirius helped Harry to his feet. "I still want to know what you were doing with your trunk, James."

Harry closed his eyes. "I'm not James."

Sirius laughed. "Come on… we've got classes… it's our first day back. Moony is going to kill you. Our first day back, and here you are hauling your trunk into the lake."

Harry shook his head. "I'm not James… I'm serious…"

Sirius laughed even harder. "James, let me get a few things straight. I am Sirius. Not you. You are James. You know, James Potter, quidditch champion… prefect… Not a good swimmer, sadly, but then that's probably what I'm here for." Sirius grinned.

"Too bad he didn't drown. I would have liked to see that."

Harry turned. A thin, oily looking kid with greasy black hair and sallow skin was sneering at him a few feet away. "So, Black, I hear your mother died. Did she look in a mirror or something?"

Sirius stood stunned for a moment, then lunged at Snape. "Take that back!"

Harry, who was used to holding Ron back, grabbed Sirius's shoulders and yanked him back.

"Get off, James!" Sirius yelled.

Snape laughed and turned away. Harry let go of Sirius.

"What did you do that for?" Sirius was shaking. "I was about to curse the little jerk into a million different pieces and send them out into orbit… James? Are you all right? You're looking lost…"

"I told you, I'm not James." Harry took off his glasses. "Does James have green eyes?"

Sirius frowned. "If you're not James, then how did you know my name? So you did something to your eyes… I prefer them brown, myself… I know! You're trying to make yourself look more like Lily so you can talk about your common eye color, right?"

Harry groaned and sat down. _Ok, this has gotten a little too far. Here I am, arguing with my Godfather, who just happens to be my age, whether or not I'm my dad. This is not good._

"I am going to kill Malfoy…" Harry muttered.

Sirius frowned. "What about Malfoy?"

"Nothing…" Harry shook his head. "Look, I don't care whether or not you believe me, but for the last time, I'm not James. I'm a new exchange student and the portkey I took didn't exactly put me where I wanted to go… can I talk to the headmaster?"

Sirius smirked. "Ok, then. What would your name be?"

"Harry," Harry winced. "Harry Shoreman."

Sirius laughed. "Ok, then, Harry Shoreman, let's go to the headmaster, then."

Harry got the distinct impression that Sirius wasn't believing a word he said. "And after you get sorted into Gryffindor, I can go introduce you to my good friends Remus and Peter. Won't that be fun?"

Harry groaned. "You don't believe me,"

"Of course I believe you, Harry!" Sirius was laughing so hard he had a difficult time walking. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Come on, James. If you want to pass yourself off as a new student, you have _got_ to change more then your eye color…"

"Sirius, what are you doing?"

Sirius and Harry turned around. Harry tried not to stare. James crossed his arms. "Ok… who's been brewing the polyjuice potion?"

"See?" Harry grinned, then remembered he wasn't suppose to know who James Potter was. "I told you my name wasn't James."

Sirius looked from James to Harry, then back to James. "He doesn't happen to be related to you, does he?"

James shook his head, then grinned. "Who are you? I've never seen you before…"

"Harry Shoreman," Harry said at once. "I'm a new student."

James's grin grew wider. "Have you been sorted yet?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm supposed to go see the headmaster." Hopefully Dumbledore would know what to do…

"Well… if you get into Gryffindor, come talk to me." James smiled.

Sirius was smiling as well. "Ok… now we have a James look alike. This is going to be so much fun."

Harry groaned. "Why do I get a bad feeling about this?"

***

"Professor Dumbledore!" Sirius knocked on the headmaster's door.

Dumbledore looked up, his blue eyes twinkling. "Come in, Mr. Black. Another detention?"

"Not exactly." Sirius opened the door. "I found this new student wandering around outside… he says he needs to see you… his name's Harry Shoreman… looks a whole lot like James…"

Dumbledore nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Black. I'll speak with him. You may wait outside."

Sirius nodded and left the office.

Harry entered the room. Dumbledore smiled. "Hello, Harry. Interestingly enough, I haven't heard of you. Would you mind giving me a brief explanation?"

Harry blinked, wondering if he should tell Dumbledore all about the time charm.

_If you do, you'll never see your dad again._ A little voice hissed the words in his ear. _You'll be sent back this afternoon. James will be dead. Sirius will still be on the run, you won't see Remus…_

Harry swallowed nervously. "I'm… a transfer… fifth year …"

Dumbledore smiled. "You brought your trunk?"

"It's down by the lake," Harry said.

"Well, then, all that's left is the sorting. Here in Hogwarts, there are four houses… Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Gryffindor, and Ravenclaw. As you missed the sorting last night, you'll just have to try on the sorting hat without the ceremonies…" Dumbledore gestured to a frayed, tattered hat resting behind Harry.

Harry took the hat off the shelf. "I just… put it on?"

Dumbledore nodded. Harry jammed the hat over his head, closed his eyes, and waited.

"Hello, Harry Potter. Here for a little stroll in the past, are we?" the sorting hat whispered.

_You put me in Gryffindor once… you can do it again, can't you?_ Harry thought desperately.

"Well… I don't know… Slytherin… oh, well, if you insist. GRYFFINDOR!" 

Harry pulled the hat off. Dumbledore nodded to him. "I'll have one of the teachers bring your trunk up to your room. Mr. Black?"

Sirius opened the door so quickly Harry was sure he had been eavesdropping. "Yes, Sir?"

"Could you escort Mr. Shoreman to the Gryffindor tower, please? Harry, we'll have your schedule arranged by dinner. I'm sure Sirius wants to show you all around…"

Sirius gave Dumbledore his 'innocent' grin. Dumbledore nodded and dismissed them.

***

Remus Lupin frowned slightly. James was grinning from ear to ear and speaking a million miles a second. "What?"

"There's this new kid here, he looks just like me!" James grinned. "Think about it, Remus! We could have so much fun off of this… especially if he's in Gryffindor…"

"Who?" Remus ran a hand through his brown hair. "What's his name?"

James shrugged. "I don't know… Harry something."

Remus shrugged. "It's our first day back, James… don't get too many ideas."

James rubbed his hands together, just as the portrait hole opened and Sirius and Harry stepped through. "Oh, I'm getting plenty of ideas…"

Remus groaned. "Heaven help us all,"


	3. Default Chapter Title

## Chapter Three

# 

### "Heaven help us all,"

Those were the first four words Harry heard when he entered the Gryffindor tower. Sirius immediately walked over to James and Remus and sat down. "Come on, Harry!"

Harry, feeling slightly nervous, sat down on one of the couches.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet James, Remus, and Peter. Over there is Lily Clark, James's girlfriend, do not flirt with her if you value your life…" Sirius paused while James flashed his smug look at the rest of them. 

"Sirius knows that from experience, by the way. Don't ask. You don't want to know," Peter grinned.

Sirius chose to ignore that little comment. "There's two other boys in our dormitory, Kevin and Malger. Malger is a pain in the neck, and Kevin doesn't talk about anything but muggle sports and books. I suggest you stick with us. Also, there is a very pretty girl with red-ish brown hair in Slytherin, she's a seventh year, so she'll be gone next year… her name's Deloris Amay Riddle. Stay away from her at all costs. She's trouble in a bad way."

"As opposed to you four, who are just plain trouble." Harry crossed his arms.

"Yes!" Sirius and James grinned at each other. "Well… James and I are. Remus isn't so much, and Peter…"

"Is the sensible one," Peter finished. "In this case that means that I have a little more respect for my life then you two."

"Call it what you want," Sirius muttered.

Remus didn't say anything. He looked like he was falling asleep.

Sirius hit him with a pillow. "Wake up!"

"Hmm?" Remus looked up. "Oh. Right. What were we talking about?"

"Peter has just proclaimed himself the sensible one, Moony." James shrugged. "Anyway… what do you say we freak Snape out with a double James trick?"

"I'm game!" Sirius said at once.

Remus shook his head. "I'm tired… you go on without me…" 

"You sure?" Harry asked.

Remus nodded.

"Peter?" Sirius asked.

"Oh… fine. Just as long as you're not planning on doing anything that'll give us detentions again… It's too early for another detention." Peter sighed. "Are we going to use your cl… never mind."

James sighed. "You might as well tell him. Now, Harry, you wouldn't be the type of person to tell on a friend for breaking rules, would you?"

Harry smiled. "Not exactly."

"Well… If you promise to keep your mouth shut, I'll show you something." James grinned. "Come on,"

Harry followed James up the boy's dormitory. James stopped at the fifth year's room. "Wow. They got your bed and trunk in here fast."

Harry nodded. "How'd they get that in here?"

James shrugged. "Take a look at this,"

Harry turned. James was holding out a long, silvery cloak. "Isn't this great?"

Harry pulled his invisibility cloak out of his pocket and compared the two. "Yours is better," he said at last.

James's mouth was wide open. "You… you have one too?"

Harry put the cloak on and vanished. James blinked several times and put his on as well. "I like you, Harry. I think we could be great pals."

Harry blinked. Hermione's words had just floated up to him: _You're not supposed to change time! It's one of the most important wizarding laws! You could kill your past or your future self…_

Harry closed his eyes. _One more week,_ he promised himself. _Then I tell Dumbledore the truth and go home._

_ _

_ _

***

A week later, Harry had all but forgotten his promise to himself about going back home. So far, Snape had found dungbombs in his bed, cockroaches in his hair, and fake love letters with Snape's signature addressed to muggle born Hufflepuffs placed around his room. Snape wasn't the only one who'd been having a hard time. Every teacher in the school had some new complaint about the Potter gang's new partner in crime.

"Black! Potter! Shoreman! Will you _please_ get on with your school work?!" McGonagall waved her hands around in exasperation at the double transmogrification class.

Peter, as usual, was having a horrendous time transforming the opossum he was working on. James, Harry, and Sirius had transformed theirs already, no problem. Remus was doing almost as well, but his pillow still had a tail. Snape smirked from the back of the room.

"Hey," James whispered to Sirius. "Remember the first day of school, when Snape tried to curse me and ended up hitting himself?"

Sirius snorted. Harry blinked. "He did?"

James nodded. "You should have seen it, Harry. That was so funny…"

Sirius nodded, slowly loosing his grin. He sat back down.

"What's wrong with Sirius?" Harry whispered.

James didn't answer for a moment. "His mum was killed last week."

Harry blinked. "Oh…"

James sighed and looked out the window. "Sirius… after class you want to go do some research?"

Sirius looked up. "Sure… Peter had better come to… he's getting behind."

"Behind on what?" Harry frowned.

James looked away. "Nothing… I'd better go help Lily… she's not that good at transfiguration…"

Harry shrugged and sat back down.

***

Days flew by. James looked up once at the calendar and was mildly surprised to see Harry had been going to Hogwarts almost three weeks. The next day was a full moon, and Remus was in a very bad mood.

"Remus…" Harry crossed his arms.

"What?" Remus snapped, looking up from his homework.

"What's wrong with you? You've been acting cranky all day?" Harry frowned.

James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter looked at each other. "Nothing," Peter said. "It's nothing, Harry."

Harry, evidently, didn't believe a word of this. He crossed his arms.

James leaned over to Sirius. "We'll go out with the invisibility cloaks. Need another book from the library."

"What are you whispering?" Harry frowned.

Lily, sitting a few feet away, glanced up. "Harry, one thing you need to know if you hang out with James. They are always whispering about something. Always. Don't even bother trying to find out what they're up to."

Harry stood up. "Fine then. James, Sirius, Remus… I need to talk to Dumbledore… I'll see you later."

Sirius frowned as Harry left the common room. "He isn't in trouble… why does he need to see Dumbledore?"

James shrugged. "Let's go borrow his cloak… we need it, or else we might get caught. It won't fit the three of us anymore."

Remus sighed. "You think we should just tell him?"

"No," James, Sirius, and Peter said together.

"Why not?"

James shrugged. "I don't know… it's just that there's something creepy about Harry… have you noticed he never did tell us where he went to school before Hogwarts? And he knew Sirius's name when he first saw him… and he knows his way around the school perfectly. When Harry tells us what he's hiding, then we'll tell him what we're hiding."

Remus sighed. "There's always the possibility that Harry can't tell us what he's hiding…"

"Such as?" Sirius asked.

Peter frowned. "And why doesn't he like me? I mean, I'm perfectly nice and everything, but he keeps giving me that creepy look… as though I'm about to murder him or something…"

James frowned. "That, too. So, are we borrowing the cloak or not?"

Sirius nodded and stood up. Remus and Peter followed James and Sirius up the stairs. Sirius threw open Harry's trunk.

"You know, it suddenly occurs to me…" Sirius held up a small, leather bound book. "We could just find out for ourselves what Harry's up to. Everything we need to know is probably in his trunk."

"We shouldn't mess around in there…" Remus frowned. "That's Harry's stuff… I really don't think he'd appreciate you two poking around…"

James nodded in agreement.

Sirius stood up. "Oh… all right…" He tossed the book back in the trunk.

The book hit the rim and fell open on the floor. James knelt to pick it up, then froze. "Oh my…"

"What?" Sirius knelt down beside James. "So it's a picture album… what's the matter?"

"This." James held the book out. It was a wedding photo. A man with messy, black hair was waving from the photo, next to a woman with bright red hair wearing a wedding dress. Sirius was standing behind the man, waving franticly.

Remus's face went white. He took the book from James and flipped to the front page.

There, printed in somewhat sloppy letters, read the name 'Harry Potter'.

***

Harry had almost gotten to Dumbledore's office when he changed his mind and walked back to the Gryffindor common room. _Just one more day…_ he promised himself. _Then he'd go home. One more day…_

_ _

James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter weren't in the common room when Harry climbed past the fat lady. Lily looked up. 

"Where's James?" Harry asked.

Lily shrugged. "They went to their room, I think."

"Thanks, Lily." Harry nodded and dashed up the stairs.

James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus were all crouching on the floor when Harry entered the room. Sirius and James stood up first. "So."

Harry frowned. James glared at him. "What?"

"Sirius found this in your trunk, Harry Potter. Care to explain?" James shoved the picture book at Harry, who caught it.

"You… you didn't…" Harry blinked.

"Let me put it this way." Sirius sat down on his bed. "I just want to know something. Who are you?"

Harry didn't answer.

"Harry…" James growled.

"My name is Harry James Potter. You might have guessed that." Harry said at last.

"You're related to me?" James crossed his arms.

Harry nodded.

"So you're from the future." James looked at Harry's trunk. "That's my invisibility cloak in there, isn't it?"

Again, Harry nodded.

"How far in the future?" James asked.

Harry closed his eyes. "I'm not allowed to say."

Sirius's hands balled into fists. "Harry…"

Remus frowned. "You know all of us, don't you? You know where we're going to turn out, what's going to happen. That's why you can't tell us, isn't it?"

Harry nodded.

Remus, Sirius, James, and Peter looked at each other.

"Why did you come here, Harry?" Remus asked.

"I didn't mean to. It was a mistake. Malfoy… this really annoying Slytherin, he stole my trunk and I got caught in a time charm when I went out to get it." Harry said.

"So why didn't you just ask Dumbledore to send you back when you first got here?" Peter asked.

Harry slumped. "I wanted to meet you guys. When you were my age… I can't tell you what's going to happen… I'd probably scare you out of your wits…"

Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter looked at each other. "What, does Voldemort take over the world?" James raised his eyebrows.

"I can't say. I can't. Look, I'll go see Dumbledore now and get him to reverse the time charm, all right?" Harry stood up. "I'm sorry for not telling you."

Remus nodded. "We'll see you in the future, then, Harry."

Harry winced. "But… there's a problem…" he pulled out his wand.

James knew what was going to happen a moment before it happened.

"Obliviate," Harry whispered.

James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter all suddenly looked lost and confussed. Harry stood there a moment, then ran down the common room stairs.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Lily frowned.

Harry turned toward her. This side of the common room was nearly empty. "Obliviate." Harry performed the memory charm again. They'd never remember him. Time was unchanged.

Harry ran down the hallways and stopped at Dumbledore's office. "Bertie Botts every flavor beans!"

The gargoyle sprang aside. Harry dashed up the stairs. "Professor!"

Dumbledore looked up. "Harry."

"I need to speak with you, sir." Harry gasped.

"Yes?"

Now or never. "I need you to perform a time charm. I have to go twenty or so years into the future."

***

Severus Snape looked up from the willow by the side of the lake at Dumbledore and Harry.

"It's ready, Harry." Dumbledore said. "You have your trunk?"

Harry nodded. Dumbledore had created a swirling circle of blue light. Harry looked back towards the castle.

Severus glared at Harry. That was the little twerp that put the dungbombs in his bed… Severus drew his wand.

Dumbledore stopped. "Now, Harry, be sure to go right through the circle… this spell is very hard to perform, and it's very easy for something to go wrong… if you stop, or jerk a bit, you could end up anywhere."

Harry nodded. "Thank you Professor."

Snape aimed his wand at Harry.

"Alright… go!" Dumbledore closed his eyes, concentrating.

Harry walked towards the circle. Snape shot the jelly legs curse at him. Harry's legs buckled, just as he reached the gate. The blue light vanished.

Dumbledore opened his eyes, then seeing neither Harry, nor the trunk, walked towards the school, certain that nothing had gone wrong.

***

"Wake up!"

Harry groaned.

"Are you alright?"

"Helga, he's barely alive. How can you ask him 'are you alright?' and expect a reply?"

"Slazar!"

"Come on, let's get him up to the school…" Harry felt himself being lifted up by two strong hands. "Just be glad the muggles didn't find him first. They'd have killed the boy."

"True…"

There were no more voices after that. Harry woke up inside the Hogwarts hospital wing, only… something about the room didn't look right. It looked… new. As though someone had replaced all the stone in the room.

"You're awake!"

Harry turned. A woman strode over to him. She was rather pretty, with long black hair and smiling black eyes. In her arms were at least five books, and she seemed very nice… Harry could have sworn he'd seen her before somewhere…

"So… what happened to you? Oh, I'm being rude, I should introduce myself. My name is Rowena Ravenclaw." The woman smiled. "Welcome to Hogwarts."


	4. Default Chapter Title

## Chapter Four

Harry sat bolt upright. "You… you're Rowena Ravenclaw?!"

Rowena smiled. "You've heard of me!" she seemed delighted.

Harry nodded.

"And what would your name be?" Rowena smiled.

"Harry Potter," Harry said, looking around the room.

"Harry Potter…" Rowena frowned slightly. "You've come to see Hogwarts? It's almost finished… we should be getting students here in a few weeks…"

Harry sat up. "I… I got sent here by a time charm… something must have went wrong…"

Rowena suddenly frowned. "Past or future?"

"From the future. About a thousand years or so. I go to Hogwarts." Harry said.

Rowena smiled sadly. "As glad as I am to hear the school will last that long, we then have a problem, Harry Potter."

Harry waited.

"Time charms… right now, don't work very well. Salazar is the only one of us that would be able to do one, and… well, a century is the most I'd think you could travel."

Harry groaned. "Great. Now I'm a time hitchhiker. Perfect."

Rowena frowned, twirling a lock of her dark hair between her fingers. "Your meaning is unclear to me. It doesn't matter, however. Would you like to eat with us? As our honored guest."

Harry's eyes widened. "I… I would love to…"

Rowena smiled. "Good! Well… you probably need some rest…"

Harry stood up. "Oh, no, I'm fine. I'd like to see the school… and meet Gryffindor."

Rowena laughed. "Come. I'll introduce you to the Hogwarts four."

***

Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin held up their swords. "En garde!" Godric said, a strange smile on his face.

Salazar smirked a bit, then lunged. Godric leapt to the side, blocking the blow of the sword. Salazar whirled around, while Godric made a lunge of his own.

"You're getting better, Godric," Salazar admitted. "Perhaps someday you'll beat me." Salazar said, parrying Godric's thrust and turning the parry into a lunge. Godric's sword flew out of his hand.

"Better," Godric smiled. From the doorway came Helga's applause for the performance. Salazar gave a little half bow toward the blonde.

"Wonderful!" Helga smiled. "Although it goes much too fast for me. I prefer dueling with wands."

Godric put down his sword. It was really a great weapon, steel and gold, encrusted with rubies. The name 'Godric Gryffindor' sparkled on its hilt.

"Godric? Salazar?"

Gryffindor and Slytherin turned. Rowena smiled slightly. "Our young friend is awake." She motioned to Harry.

Godric smiled. Harry stared at his blade. "I've seen that sword before…"

Rowena laughed. "No doubt, no doubt. Harry Potter, I'd like you to meet Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor. Salazar… we have a slight problem."

"Why am I not the least bit surprised?" Salazar rolled his eyes. "What is it?"

"This boy, Harry Potter, has been sent back in time via a time charm…"

Salazar sneered. "We're here to work on the castle, Rowena. Not fix all little boy's problems. We have more then enough to do already."

Harry winced, then smiled. "I'll tell them about the Chamber of Secrets, Slytherin," he said in parselmouth.

Salazar whirled about. "You're a parselmouth?"

Harry nodded. "I need to get back to my own time. And I need your help. You don't need to send me far… just far enough for me to find another way home. You seem to be the only wizard here in this time that can do this charm."

Slytherin paused. Godric, Rowena, and Helga were looking at each other, amazed.

Slytherin frowned. "That's a foolish risk, boy. I could send you to a time when there were no time charms at all, then where would you be? Perhaps I have no patience for you at all. I could just kill you now and have you out of the way. Have you thought of that, oh clever Parselmouth?"

Harry stiffened. "On the other hand, Slytherin, I could just switch to English and let the others hear this little conversation. You'd be hard pressed to keep the others in the dark if I died soon after."

Slytherin sneered. "Then you are a fool. The others trust me."

Harry's green eyes flashed. "That can be changed, Slytherin."

Slytherin paused, then nodded. "I'll send you forward one century. No farther. You must find your own way from there."

Harry winced. As much as he hated Slytherin… "Agreed."

Slytherin nodded, then turned to the others. "Out of respect to another Parselmouth, I will send him forward. Tomorrow."

Godric, Helga, and Rowena smiled and nodded. Salazar turned and left the room.

Harry swallowed nervously. "I… I am feeling a bit tired, after all… would you mind if I went back to the hospital wing?"

Godric smiled. "Not at all, Harry Potter. Go on. We'll see you later."

Harry nodded and walked back to the common room, feeling shocked. Last week he'd been putting dungbombs under Snape's bed with his dad. Now he was walking around a not-quite-finished Hogwarts, making deals with Salazar Slytherin.

Harry lay back down on the bed in the hospital wing. Tomorrow he'd be somewhere totally different…

"I wonder where I'll end up…" Harry muttered. He could just see Ron now… and Hermione… and his Dad… funny, it had only been a few hours since he'd been plotting how to best disrupt a class with him…

Harry rolled over and fell asleep. He never noticed Slytherin, standing in the doorway, watching him closely. "We'll see, boy," Slytherin hissed. "We shall see."

_ _


End file.
